New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state disaster emergency late Friday night due to the growing monkeypox cases in the state.

A staff member of a medical center prepares a monkeypox vaccine in a drive-through monkeypox vaccination point in Valhalla, New York, the US, July 28, 2022. (Photo: Agencies)

"I am declaring a State Disaster Emergency to strengthen our aggressive ongoing efforts to confront this outbreak," Hochul said in a statement.

New York is experiencing the highest rates of monkeypox transmission in the country, with 1,383 reported cases as of Friday, showed the state data.

"More than one in four monkeypox cases in this country are in New York State, and we need to utilize every tool in our arsenal as we respond," said Hochul.

The announcement came a day after the New York state commissioner of health declared monkeypox an "imminent threat to public health."

More than 5,100 monkeypox cases had been reported across the United States as of Friday, with New York recording the most cases, followed by California, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.